Automatic car and train-pipe coupling.



T. R. BROWN."

AUTOMATIC CAR AND TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I 7, I915- t 34 12, A Patented J1 1'1y 24, 1917.

2 SHE.ETSSHEET 1- T. R. BROWN.

AUTOMATIC CAR AND TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-171 I9I5.

"F TG. 3:

Pafiented'July 24, 1917.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

S ll d lfhld PATEENT THOMAS It. BROWN, 01? SPARKILL, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORTO THE WESTINGHOU$E AIR BRAKE COMPANY, OF WILMERYDING, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC CAR, AND TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.

To all whom it mm/ concern:

Be it known that I, TI-roMAs R. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sparkill, in the county of Rockland and State of New York,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Car andTrain-Pipe Couplings, of which improvement the following is aspecification. a

This invention relates to combined car and train pipe couplings, andmore particularly to the type known as rigid lock couplings, such asshown, for instance, in the prior l/Vestinghouse Patent No. 708,747,dated September 9, 1902, and in which each coupler head is provided witha laterally projecting hook shaped portion adapted to engage thecorresponding portion of a counterpart coupler by a relative lateralmovement, and be rigidly locked together by cam levers, one pivoted uponeach coupler and bearing against the other counterpart coupler head. Thetrain pipe passages are also formed in the coupler heads and areprovided with gaskets adapted to abut against the corresponding gasketsof the counterpart coupler when the two are coupled together.

One of the objects of my present invention is to provide an improvedmeans for releasing the locks of the couplers, and another object is toprovide improved mechanism for operating the valves in the train pipepassages.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view, substantially inhorizontal section, and illustrating two counterpart coupler headsembodying my improvement, coupled together; Fig. 2, a side elevation ofone of the coupler heads; and Fig. 3, a horizontal section of a portionof the coupler head upon a larger scale.

According to the construction shown in the drawings, each coupler head,12, is adapted to be pivotally connected to the draw bar (not shown),and is provided with a projecting end portion, 1 1, arranged to engagethe corresponding portion of the counterpart coupler by a relativelateral movement along a longitudinally inclined vertical plane. Thecoupler heads may then be rigidly locked together by the cam levers,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 17, 1915.

Patented July 2%, 1617.

Serial No. 51,149.

16, pivoted upon the respective coupler heads and bearing against faces,17, of the counterpart couplers.

The cam lever is normally held in locking position by a spring, 20,acting between the casing and a head, 18, attached to a rod or bar, 19,pivotally connected to an armof the cam lever, 16. For the purpose ofmanually withdrawing the cam lever to its releasing position, there isshown a hand lever, 13, mounted on a vertical shaft, 23, carrying adouble cam, 21, engaging a roller, 22, mounted on the head, 18. Nhen thehandle is turned in either direction from its normal intermediateposition, one of the cams acts upon the roller to move the head tocompress the spring, 20, and move the cam lever, 16, inward. lVhen thetwo counterpart couplers are locked together it is necessary to withdrawboth of the cam levers in re lease and separate the couplers.

According to one of the features of my present improvement, I providemeans mounted in one coupler head for releasing the cam lever of thecounterpart coupler when the two coupler heads are locked together, anda preferred construction for this purpose comprises a fluid pressureoperated device including a piston, 35, mounted in a cylinder, 36,carried on the coupler head, and having a stem, 37, adapted to releasethe cam lever of the other counterpart coupler when fluid under pressureis supplied to said cylinder. In order to effect the desired fullreleasing movement of the cam lever, l6,'by a short stroke of the pistonand stem, a short lever arm, 38, may be pivoted in a recess at the faceof the coupler, the stem, 37, bearing against said lever arm at anintermediate point, and the outer end of said arm adapted to act uponthe locking lever, 16, of the counterpart coupler, as indicated in Figs.1 and 3. A spring, 39, normally tends to force the piston and stem toits outer position when the couplers are separated, but when thecouplers are brought together, the cam lever, 16, bears against the arm,38, and by the force ofthe spring, 20, overcomes the lighter spring, 89,and forces the piston and stem inward to the position shown in Fig. 1,in which the couplers are locked together.

A suitable cock, 10, may be provided for controlling the supply of fluidto the piston, 35, when it is desired to release the couplers.

Another feature of my improvement relates to the valve devices forcontrolling the train pipe passages through the coupling, and comprisesmeans actuated by the movement of the releasing piston for con trollingthe operation of the train pipe valves. The train pipe passages, 24, ofwhich there may be one or more, are provided'with gaskets, 25, at themeeting face of the coupling, for making a tight joint when the twocounterpart couplers are locked together. These passages in each couplerhead are controlled by valves, 26, each provided with a cylindricalextension, 28, fitting within a chamber, 29, and adapted to seat againsta gasket when the valve is in the open position, as shown inFig. 1. Thecylind-rical extension may fit loosely within the walls of the chamber,29, or grooves may be formed therein for permitting the fluid underpressure which acts upon the face of the valve, to equalize around thesame into the chamber, 29, when the valve is closed as shown in Fig. 3.A small pilot valve, 30, having stem, 31, engaging the'stem, 37, ofreleasing piston, 35, is employed for controlling the escape of fluidfrom'chamber, 29. The spring, 27, normally tends to force the valve, 26,to its seat. Each of the pilot valves, 30, also has a spring normallytending to close the same, and these valves are closed when the stems,31, engage the grooves or reduced portions of the piston stem, 37, aswhen the latter is in its releasing position, indicated in Fig. 3. Whenthe couplers are coupled together with the piston and stem in the otherposition, as shown in Fig. 1, the larger portions of the stem, 37,engage the stems, 31, and open the valves, 30, to release fluid from thechambers back of the respective train pipe valves, 26, to theatmosphere, whereupon the pressure in the train pipe passage acting onthe face of the valves holds the same open.

In the particular construction shown, a portion of the piston stem, 37is made hollow, and communicates, through lateral perforations withchambers, such as 32 and 32 formed in the casing'around the piston stemat the ends of the valve stems, 30, and the latter chamber communicates,through the space around a reduced portion of the piston stem, with thecylinder at the back of the piston, and through vent port, 33, to theatmosphere, when in the coupled position, as shown in Fig. 1, but thepiston stem' is provided with an enlarged portion adapted toclose saidcommunication when moved to the position shown in Fig. 3 for releasingthe couplers.

When the couplers are uncoupled and 7 atmosphere.

hen the cars are brought together in the act of coupling, the 'camlevers, 16, are thrown out by their springs, 20, to engage and clamp thesurfaces, 17, of the respective coupler heads in the locked position,and at the same time, by engagement with the levers, 38, the stems, 37,and pistons, 35, are

forced back to the position shown in Fig; 1, in which the vent valves,30, are opened. The fluid underpressure in the chamber, 29, at the backof the valve,26, is thereby vented to the atmosphere through thechambers, 32' and 32, the hollow piston stem and vent port, 33, and thepressure in the'train pipe passage acting on the face of the valve, 26,holds the same open with the cylindrical projection or flange, 28,seated against the gasket, as indicated in Fig. 1.

hen it is desired to release the couplers, the cook, 40, is turned toadmit fluidunder pressure to the cylinder, 36, and piston, 35, therebyforcing the same out to the position shown in Fig. 3. During, thismovement, the stem, 37, acting through the lever, 38 releases the camlever, 16, of the opposite coupler, and permits the closing of thevalves, 30, whereupon the pressure equalizes around the train pipevalves, 26, and allows said valves to close, as before described. Thehollow piston stem provides a means for the escape of any fluid whichmay inadvertently leak into the cylinder, 36, when the parts are coupledtogether, and thus prevents any undesired releasing movement of thepiston. This vent is, however, closed by the enlarged portion of thepiston stem when the same is actuated by the fluid admitted throughcook, 10, to prevent further escape of fluid from cylinder, 36.

Both cocks, 40, of the two counterpart couplers being, opened, thecoupler locks are released, and the train pipe valves closed, so thatthe cars may then be pulled apart, and the couplers separated.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent is: V

1. Alcar coupling comprising two counterpart couplers eachhavingapivoted lock,

and a fluid pressure device mounted on one coupler for operatir g thelock of the other coupler. V V

2. A car coupling comprising two counterpart couplers each having apivoted cam lever, and a clamping surface adapted to be engaged by thecam lever of the other coupler, and means mounted on the casing of onecoupler for engaging the cam lever of the other coupler to release thesame.

3. A car coupler comprising a casing, a pivoted lock, and a fluidpressure actuated piston and stem mounted on the casing for engaging thelock of a counter-part coupler to release the same.

4s. A car coupler comprising a casing, a pivoted look, a piston and stemcarried by the casing, and a pivoted lever also mounted on the casingand actuated by the piston stem to release the lock of a counterpartcoupler.

5. In a car coupler, the combination of a casing containing a train pipepassage adapted to be connected With a corresponding passage in acounterpart coupler, a valve for controlling said passage, a pilot valvecontrolling the pressure acting on said train pipe valve, and a movablemember operated by the coming together of the counterpart couplers foractuating said pilot valve.

6. In a car coupler, the combination of a casing containing a train pipepassage adapted to be connected with a corresponding passage in acounterpart coupler, a valve for controlling said passage, a pilot valvecontrolling the pressure acting on said train pipe valve, and a slidablymounted stem adapted to be operated by the coming together of thecounterpart couplers for actuating said pilot valve.

7. In a car coupler, the combination of a casing containing a train pipepassage adapted to be connected With a corresponding passage in acounterpart coupler, a valve for controlling said passage, a pilot valvecontrolling the pressure acting onsaid train pipe valve, and a pistonand stem for actu ating said pilot valve.

8. In a car coupler, the combination of a casing containing a train pipepassage adapted to be connected With a corresponding passage in acounterpart coupler, a valve for controlling said passage and having acylindrical extension, a pilot valve for venting fluid from the spaceback of said extension, and a piston and stem for actuating said pilotvalve.

9. In a car coupler, the combination of a casing containing a train pipepassage adapted to be connected with a corresponding passage in acounterpart coupler, a valve for controlling said passage, a pivotedlock, and a piston and stem for controlling said valve and actuating thelock of the counterpart coupler to release the same.

10. In a car coupler, the combination of a casing containing a trainpipe passage, a movable lock for engaging a counterpart coupler, a valvefor said train pipe passage, and means mounted on the casing foroperating said valve and for releasing the lock of the counterpartcoupler.

11. In a car coupler, the combination of a casing containing a trainpipe passage, a movable lock for engaging a counterpart coupler, a valvefor said train pipe passage, and a fluid pressure device for operatingsaid valve and for releasing the lock of the counterpart coupler.

12. In a car coupler, the combination of a casincontaining a train pipepassage, a mova le lock for engaging a counterpart coupler, a valve forsaid train pipe passage, said valve having a cylindrical projection, apilot valve for controlling the pressure in the chamber back of saidcylindrical portion of the train pipe valve, a stem on said pilot valve,and a piston and stem mounted on the casing for actuating said pilotvalve stem and for releasing the lock of the counterpart coupler.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

THOMAS R. nnovvn.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

